Traditionally, fresh homebaked cookes have exhibited a slightly crisp outer surface texture and a chewy, more ductile interior, while commercially prepared cookies have exhibited only a single texture, in most cases relatively hard and crisp. A recent development in the cookie industry is a storage-stable, crumb continuous dual texture cookie which closely approximates homemade yet does not deteriorate when stored in a warehouse or on a store shelf for reasonable periods of time.
Cookies of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,333 of Hong and Brabbs, issued June 19, 1984, are formed from a plurality of doughs, at least one of which contains either crystallization-resistant sugar or readily crystallizable sugar in combination with a sugar crystallization inhibitor, and at least one of which contains a conventional readily crystallizable sugar, in such a manner that the doughs remain segregated in discrete regions within the unbaked cookie. A matrix is formed which can be baked to a cookie having portions which provide a storage-stable crisp texture and portions which provide a storage-stable chewy texture. It is recognized that consumer perception of cookie freshness has only a limited relationship to the spatial orientation and organization of the two types of doughs/textures within the cookie.
It has now been discovered that the crumb texture, mouthmelt and dissipation, flavor and oxidative stability, dough stability, and flavor display of dual-textured crumb-continuous cookie products is greatly improved by use of a shortening system having a unique solids content index profile (hereinafter referred to as SCI). The shortenings have a very low level of body temperature solids at a temperature of 33.degree. C. and a relatively large SCI spread between about 21.degree. C. and about 33.degree. C.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,333 of Hong et al, issued June 19, 1984, describes laminated cookies which combine different doughs to produce a product whose long-term texture remains crisp and chewy, similar to fresh-baked cookies. The examples in Hong call for a specific weight percent of hydrogenated vegetable shortening and mixtures of hydrogenated vegetable shortening and an oil. No mention is made of the SCI of the shortening or the difference in SCI profiles between the doughs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,080 of Brabbs and Hong, issued Mar. 5, 1985, describes similar dual-textured crumb continuous cookies wherein the discrete regions of crisp texture contain readily crystallizable sugar and the discrete regions of chewy texture contain readily crystallizable sugar plus a polyol crystallization inhibitor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,969 of Youngquist et al, issued Aug. 17, 1982, describes a process for preparing cookies having storage-stable, chewy and crisp textures from a single dough wherein sugar crystallization is controlled by enzyme activity. Manipulation of water activity is one means used for activating and inactivating enzymes in selected portions of the cookie. Thus, sugars and/or starches in the areas where the enzyme is active are converted into mixtures which are non-crystallizing or crystallization-resistant, while the crystallization behavior of sucrose is preserved in those areas where the enzyme is inactive. The resulting dough and subsequent crumb areas of the baked cookie have storage-stable, chewy and crisp textures, respectively.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,459,777 of Seiden, issued Aug. 5, 1969, discloses a method for the catalytic hydrogenation of oils. U.S. Pat. No. 3,353,964 to Seiden, issued Nov. 21, 1967, relates to the preparation of corandomized margarine oils. Both patents disclose oils with SCI's in the range of those of the present application. However, neither discloses their use in a dual-textured crumb-continuous cookie, or their use in baked goods to improve texture, mouthmelt, flavor display, and shelf stability.
It is an object of this invention to provide a crumb-continuous dual-textured cookie having improved texture, mouthmelt and dissipation, flavor display, dough stability, and flavor and oxidative stability. It is a further object of this invention to provide a cookie dough preform, containing at least two doughs, which when baked provides a dual-textured cookie having improved texture, mouthmelt and dissipation, flavor display, dough stability, and flavor and oxidative stability.